Code sorter tube



9 v R. v. KEERAN 2,925,507

' com; SORTER TUBE Filed July 21, 1955 Fig. 2

IN V EN TOR. ROYAL M KEERAN,

ATTORNEYS United States PatentOfifice 2,925,507 Patented Feb. 16, 1960 CODE SORTER TUBE Royal V. Keeran, L'os Angeles, Calif.

Application July 21, 1955, Serial No. 523,638 7 Claims. (Cl. 313--7'3) (Granted under Title 3 5, U.'S. Code (1952), sec. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties'thereon or therefor.

This invention relates to a novel code sorter tube and more particularly to a multi-target cathode ray device for producing an individual output for each combination of a plurality of individual voltages.

Heretofore numerous devices have been used in which an electron beam of a cathode ray device is moved about the face of the tube by means of a deflection system, for example, as on a TV screen or oscilloscope. Other devices pass'the electron beam through a matrix of letters, slots, or symbols cut in stencil fashion and located between the gun and fluorescent tube face by applying appropriate voltages to, deflection plates. Instead of a visual presentation, a plurality of targets may be enclosed within the tube envelope, each connected externally to an individual circuit. However, in these cases the amount of deflection of the beam is dependent upon the amount of voltage applied to the deflection plates from a plurality of sources. This makes the amplitude of the applied voltage a critical factor and a source of error in determining which combination of voltage sources are being simultaneously applied.

The code sorter tube of the present invention comyprises a cathode-ray electron tube consisting of an electron1 gun, a special deflection system and -a collector target system all enclosed in a vacuum tight envelope with appropriate through-glass leads and bases. This tube sorts and decodes any combination of incoming-individual voltages independently of their amplitude and duration, i.e., anyvcombination of simultaneously applied fixed level on or off voltages. This is done byconnecting the various voltage sources to deflection plates whichgare so shaped, positioned and arranged that they deflect the beam by varying units of deflection. The number of pairs of deflection plates may vary depending upon its application but for illustrative purposes six pairs of plates are used, producing 2 or 64 codes, i.e., voltage source combinations, and hence 64 outlets, where n is .thenumber of pairs of plates.

"-.. The advantages of this invention are that all decoding .and sorting isaccomplished in a single tube in a straight- ;forward manner with a minimum of components and .WithmaXimum reliability. Tube .age or lack of sensitivityhas no effect on the deflection and hence no effect onthesorting, only the output decreases. Once set, if

none of .the v olt ages change, the tube should operate until the reduced output of the gun reduces the target output voltage to an unusable value. As seen from standard C.R.T. practice,.this might well be a number of each of any combination of a plurality of input voltages.

Another object is the provision of a code sorter tube having a plurality of deflection plates which deflect each .metal-to-glass seal to the main envelope I1.

unit of voltage by predetermined varying amounts without varying the deflection plate voltage amplitude.

Still another object is the provision of a code sorter tube having a pair of deflection plates for each voltage source and 2 outlets where n is the number of pairs of plates.

A further object is the provision of a code sorter tube having a double base including pins in the electron gun base and a second series of pins in the deflection system base.

A further object is the provision of a single tube for decoding and sorting with a minimum of components and with maximum reliability.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the tube with parts broken away to show the interior thereof; and

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the collector target assembly.

' Referring now to the drawings in which like numerals designate like parts, there is shown in Fig. l the tube envelope 11. At the base end it is sealed and tipped off with a standard lead stem. The electron gunbase 12 is a standard small-shell duodecal. Spaced from base 12 is a second lead seal for the deflection system base 13. Both seals may be formed in any conventional manner suitable for bringing leads out from elements within a vacuum tube. The other end of the tube is sealed to the collector target assembly 21 in a manner to be described hereinafter with referenceto Fig. 2. .The deflection system base 13 is a modified 14 pin medium-shell-diheptal with the center removed-so as to pass over the smaller portion of tube 11 to base the deflection plate seal. The electron gun 14 is of the standard electrostatic focus type. 15, 16, and 17 designate pairs of horizontal deflection plates. These plates are so spacedin distance from the target assembly 21 and are of such individual length that a unit of voltage on plates 15 gives four units of deflection on the target assembly, a unit of voltage plates 16 gives two units,

and a unit'on plates .17 gives one unit of deflection. The plates diverge so as to provide a more uniformfield over the operating area. As will more readily be seen in the description of the tube operation, this tube is designed for equal voltages from the various sources with the apparent advantages thereof. The vertical deflection plates '18, .19, and 20 are of the same design as horizontal plates 15, 16, and 17 except for the angular displacement.

The collector target assembly 21 is best described with reference to Fig. 2. Ithas a combined target assembly and metal-through-glass lead seal. With 2 codes to be sorted where n is the number of pairs of plates, there must be 64 outlets for the six pairs of deflection plates of this illustrative embodiment. Therefore, 64 target pins 22 are shown, suitably spaced so one pin is pulsed by the electron beam for each possible combination of voltages. In this embodiment the pins are .060" in diameter, /zlong, made of Kovar material and are surfaced flush with the inner assembly cup 23. The cupis also' of Kovar material and has target pin holes .100" in diameter spaced .125" center to center. The cup provides metal shielding and electron collecting between targets. The outer cup 24 is of =Kovar and is welded with a vacuum tight metal bond 25 to the inner cup 23. This cup provides for the Between the target pins 22 and the inner assembly cup 23 is a fused powdered glass 26 which provides insulation and support for each pin. The glass extends inside the target vector addition.

I used for holding during assembly of the inner and outer cups to the envelope and also for supporting a connecting socket which has the necessary contacts for connecting each target pin to suitable circuits which will utilize the readout information of the tube.

Operation In a six unit code, there are 64 individual combinations. One pair of code sorter plates arerequired for each individual voltage of the code. For a code made up of n voltages, hence it pairs of plates, there are 7. combinations (2 :64). These voltages may bederived from any one, or combinations of, a number of sources such as switched D.-C., detected tones, detected RF, coincidized pulse trains, etc. The individual voltages are connected to the individual pairs of plates: voltage A to plates 20, B to plates 19, C to 18, D to 17, E to 16, and F to 15. It is advantageous but not essential that theplates be driven push-pull.

The beam is initially positioned on a corner pin by physical gun position, magnetic flux, or by fixed voltages on the deflection plates. Code is a combination of all Ofl voltages resulting in an output on the initial corner pin. In the illustrative embodiment, it is placed in the upper left corner. A current output is obtained since the beam is actually a beam of electrons. In code #1 a voltage is applied to plates 20 only, giving a unit deflection down to the second target, producing a current output on that pin. Code #2 applies a voltage to plates 19 which is designed to give two units of deflection producing an output on the third target down. Code #3 applies a voltage to plates 20 and 19. The two deflections add vectorially to give three units of deflection to the fourth target. Code #4 applies a voltage to plates 18 which are designed to give four units of deflection to produce an output on the fifth target. Similarly successive codes apply combinations of individual voltages to the individual pairs of plates. Code #8 is the first code to add a horizontal vector which again adds vectorially to produce an output on the ninth pin. Each of the individual codes are decoded and sorted within the tube and an individual output is produced for each. The beam may be gated during the time of sorting to reduce transient output.

There are several modifications to the illustrative embodiment just described that further teach the principles" More pairs of plates may be added,

of this invention. each additional pair doubling the total number of codes, since the number is equal to Z where n is the number of pairs of plates. A similar tube could be built in which deflections of four, two, and one are obtained from various length plates but with deflection voltages as inverse functions of those lengths. The deflection plates need not be in box form, flat or any particular form so long as they produce the. desired one, two, four, eight unit The target assembly may take any form that provides targets spaced equal distances in the horizontal and equal distances in the vertical directions. The individual circuit connections to each target pin may be electrical leads, capacity outputs with one plate of the condenser inside the tube, or by use of phosphor spot wtih photo sensitive pickups. The principles of this invention may be used to design a tube with deflection sensitivities other than one, two, and four, in which case the targets are not evenly spaced but are placed at the summation points of the various vectors. By spac ing the deflection plates angularly the vectors are added angularly and produce outputs as the summation points of the vectors. The plates may have varying sensitivity ratios to handle unequal input voltages. These and other modifications may become obvious to one skilled in the art in light of the above teachings and may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as hereinafter defined by the appended claims, as only a preferred embodiment thereof has been disclosed.

What is claimed is:

1. In a code sorter tube, in combination, a vacuum sealed envelope, target means mounted within and at one end thereof, means opposite said target for projecting an electron beam thereto, pairs of deflection means for controlling lateral movement of said electron beam, 2

number of beam positions on said target means where n is the number of pairs of deflection means, external connections at one end of said envelope for connecting an energy source to said electron beam projecting means, external connections individually connected to said deflecting means for connecting individual energy sources to said deflecting means.

2. In the code sorter tube defined in claim 1, said target means including a plurality of target pins each located in one of said beam positions so that said beam will strike a diflerent pin for each combination of de flection means energized.

3. In the code sorter tube defined in claim 1, said deflection means comprising a plurality of pairs of plates, each pair being connected to a separate energy source, each combination of plates energized deflecting said beam a different amount than other combinations of said energized plates.

4. In the code sorter tube defined in claim 2, said target means comprising an outer assembly cup, an inner assembly cup, said outer cup forming a vacuum seal with said envelope and having guide means mounted thereon for supporting external connecting means with said target pins, said inner assembly cup having a plurality of apertures therein for positioning said target pins, said pins mounted therein and electrically insulated therefrom and from each other, the inner ends of said pins being positioned flush with the inner surface of said inner assembly cup.

5. In the code sorter tube defined in claim 4, said apertures being of larger diameter than the diameter of said pins, powdered glass fused therebetween to insulate said pins from said inner cup, said powdered glass fused between said pins exterior of said tube for supporting them in substantially parallel relationship, said pins extending outwardly beyond said fused glass to form electrical outlets for each combination of deflection plate voltages.

6. In a code sorter tube, a plurality of target pins mounted in one end of the tube, means opposite said pins for projecting an electron beam thereto, a plurality of deflecting means intermediate said pins and said beam projecting means, each deflecting means adapted to re ceive voltages of amplitude similar to voltage amplitudes applied to other deflecting means, said deflecting means including pairs of horizontal and vertical beam deflecting elements, each of said pairs of elements deflecting said beam by different amounts, no two combinations of defleeting pairs of elements, when energized, deflecting said beam to the same target pin, each pin when struck by said beam representing a diflerent combination of deflection voltages of similar amplitude, said pins forming 2 number of outlets where n is the number of pairs of defleeting elements.

7. In a code sorter tube having deflecting voltages of similar amplitude, 2 number of target pins mountecl'in one end of the tube, means opposite said pins for projecting an electron beam thereto to a normal position thereon, n/Z pairs of horizontal deflecting plates, 11/2 pairs of vertical deflecting plates where n is the number of deflecting voltage sources, said plates mounted within said tube intermediate said pins and said means, each pair of plates responsive to a separate voltage source, one of said pairs of vertical deflecting plates deflecting said beam one target pin vertically from normal beam position, another pair of vertical deflecting plates deflecting said beam two target pins vertically from normal beam position, a third pair of vertical deflecting plates deflecting said beam four target pins vertically, and a fourth pair of vertical deflecting plates (when 4 is equal to or less than n/2) deflecting the beam eight target pins vertically, the corresponding pairs of horizontal deflecting plates deflecting said beam by a corresponding number of pins in a horizontal direction, the target pin being instantaneously 6 struck by said beam being indicative of the instantaneous combination of deflecting voltage sources energizing said deflection plates.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

